One of the Causes of Success Is Prayer
The lecture speaks about prayer as being one of the main causes of true success in a person’s life, because success does not depend only on human abilities, intelligence, or strength of personality, but also depends on God’s help and His work in the life of the person. Pope Shenouda III confirms that without God, a person cannot achieve complete success.
Pope Shenouda III explains that prayer connects the person with God and makes him feel that God supports him in all his matters. Therefore, the saints and prophets used to seek God’s counsel before every work. Prayer gives the person inner strength, reassurance, and peace regardless of the troubles or problems he faces.
The lecture also explains that prayer gives the person faith and confidence and encourages him to face life steadfastly, because the praying person feels that God carries his burdens and fears for him. Therefore, the praying person lives in inner joy and continuous spiritual comfort even amid trials and hardships.
The lecture confirms that prayer lifts the person from attachment to material things to spiritual life, so he feels closeness to God and spiritual elevation. Prayer also purifies the heart and mind and keeps the person away from sin, because the person who loves prayer naturally distances himself from evil.
Pope Shenouda III also speaks about the importance of spiritual exercises in prayer, especially during free times and vacations, where a person should learn to make prayer a priority in his life and not a secondary matter after worldly occupations.
The lecture explains that true prayer requires humility and a constant feeling of the person’s need for God, because the one who depends only on himself does not feel the value of prayer. But the humble person always feels in need of God’s help and guidance.
At the end of the lecture, Pope Shenouda III encourages believers to let their prayers come from true love toward God, and for prayer to become nourishment for the spirit and the heart and a permanent source of peace, joy, and spiritual success.
“For better translation support, please contact the center.”
